Dublin cyclists call for rubber strips to prevent Edinburgh-style tram injuries

Cyclists in Dublin have called for rubber linings to be fitted to tram tracks at crossings to prevent Edinburgh-style injuries and death.

One woman has been killed and many others injured in the Scottish capital, due to being caught in tram tracks and slipping in wet weather.

Dublin’s Cross City Luas line is now the focus of attention, and Colm Ryder, chairman of the advocacy group cyclist.ie and secretary of the Dublin Cycling Campaign, is campaigning for rubber strips.

They were considered by the construction team, but were rejected on the grounds of needing continual maintenance and being expensive.

But Mr Ryder says it could be installed at key junctions to make them safer, according to the Irish Times.

Injuries caused by the Edinburgh tram tracks over the last seven years have resulted in a bill for the NHS of more than £1m, and the vast majority happened to cyclists.

Prof Chris Oliver, a consultant at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, has counted 252 tram track incidents, 191 involving cyclists.

The trauma and orthopaedic surgeon says that 119 men and 72 women were injured, with the most common incident being a wheel caught in the tracks, followed sliding on a track, which was particularly likely in wet weather.

The accidents caused 55 upper limb fractures or dislocations, eight sustained lower limb fractures and two facial fractures.

One sustained both upper and lower limb fractures and one had facial and lower limb fractures.